1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the routing of messages from a client to one of a plurality or servers and the routing of a reply message back from the server to the client. It particularly relates to the adaptation of messages to achieve this routing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The functions of an electronic device, for example a radio handset, can be created by defining clients and servers. The servers offer a service or set of services of a resource. The clients access the services by sending request messages to the appropriate server. The result of the access is then returned to the client as a reply message.
The device may however have a plurality of similar resources which provide similar services. These duplicate services may be mutually independent with only one of the plurality being appropriate at any one time. Each of the duplicate resources will have an associated server.
A routing means is therefore needed to route a request message for a service from an originating client to an appropriate one of a plurality of duplicate servers and to route a reply message from the appropriate server to the originating client. Such routing means are known. However, they are complex and have memories for associating a message identifier with the originating client. The identifier is sent in the message to the appropriate resource and is returned in the reply message. The memory is then accessed to identify the originating client to which the reply should be directed.